Protective device



July 1, 1930.

R. w. M LEAN PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed July 24, 1928 Patented July 1, 1930 STATES I ROBERT W. MCLEAN, CF BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CARVER COT- TON GIN COMPANY, OF EAST BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF the reducing factor.

seed.

MASSACHUSETTS PROTECTIVE DEVICE Application filed July 24,

itality, such as a saw cylinder and gratefall which is enclosed within a suitable casing, the latter being provided with an adjustable or removable closure or breast to permit adjustment, removal, repair or observation of Thus, the present invention is more particularly concerned with that class of devices which have a reducing. factor consisting of a cutter, cutters, mashers, grinders or other instrumentalities norhially adapted to separate, divide or reduce the material which is being worked upon and thus being liable to cause injuryto workmen if the reducing factor be exposed while the machineis operating.

For example, in the conventional gin which is adapted to separate the seeds from the cotton fiber, the saw cylinder is arranged in conjunction with the gratefall and various auxiliary instrumentalities to effect the separation bf the cotton fiber from the seeds, these various moving parts ordinarily being enclosed in a suitable casing, whereby the workmen are normally prevented from injury by the parts which separate the cotton fiber and Ordinarily gins of this type, as now constructed and used, are provided with re movable or movable breasts or front boards which afford access to the saw cylinder and to the bearings for the shaft of the same,

as well as to the brush, float shaft and other auxiliary instrumentalities. Thus the movable closure provided by this adjustable or removable front board may permit the saws to be observed and repaired or replaced, or may permit the entire assembly of the shaft driving pulley and hearings to be moved outwardly for similar purposes. The present invention is particularly designed to prevent removal or displacement of the front board and consequent exposure of the moving parts of the machine while the latter is in operation. Thus injury to workmen due to the uncovering of these parts while in operation is avoided and the danger of tools or similar objects being brought in contact with the ro- 1928. Serial No. 295,045.

tating parts is greatly reduced. In its more specific aspect the present invention provides a removable closure arranged to form a portion of the wall of the casing which encloses the reducing factor, suitable fastening means being arranged to hold the movable closure in its normal position upon the casing, and suitable retaining or locking means being arranged to prevent loosening of such fastening mean'swhile the machine is in operation. For this purpose, I may conveniently provide a guard or locking member which is held in place by an element that is inaccessible when the driving pulley is rotating but which may be reached between the spokes of this pulley when the same is stationary. The principal objects of the present invention therefore are to permit ready access to the saws or similar reducing factors when the same are station- Fig. 3is a perspective view of the guardv which is arranged to enclose the fastening means for the front board.

The construction of the frame 1, saw cylinder 2, and brush may be of the usual or any desired type; the bearings 4 for the shaft 10 which connects the main driving pulley 11 wi'ththe'saw cylinder 2 may be of any suitable type, for example being arranged to permit the removal of these members for repairs if desired. The roll box may similarly be of practically any desired nature comprising the usual heads 5 and the movable or removable front board or breast 6. The usual grate and float shaft may be arranged in conjunction with the saw cylinder in the conventional manner.

The front board 6 is preferably removable bodily, but, if. desired, may be arranged to swing away from its normal position to afford access to the reducing instrumentality or saw cylinder within the casing. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the end of board 6 may carry a pair of retaining angles 12 which are provided with screw-threaded studs 12" engageable by wi nuts 13 to secure the angles to an outstandlng flange 14 upon the head 5, it being understood that a similar arrangement of retaining angles and thumb screws may be rovided at the opposite end of the front ard. The studs 12 pass through openings in the flange 14 and when the nuts 13 are tightened they serve to lock the front board 6 in its normal position wherein it comprises a closure forming part of the casing which encloses the saw cylinder and related instrumentalities.

The parts so far described are of typical construction and may vary widely, it only being essential to the present invention that fastening means of some character or other are provided to hold a closure such as the front board 6 in place to protect the movable reducing factor which is enclosed within the casing of which the removable closure may form at least a part. In order to prevent loosening or tampering with the fastening means 13 when the machine is in operation, I preferably arrange a suitable guard or enao closure 20 about the fastening means 13 and the flange 14. this enclosure comprising a metal box or the like which is adapted to rest against the front board 6 and the head 5 and to cooperate therewith substantially to enclose the wing nuts so completely that effective accessthereto is prevented. Enclosure 20 is preferably secured to a bracket member 21 which may be in the form of a casting, as is shown more particularly in Fig. 3. Member 21 is preferably provided with a yoke 22,

the legs of which in their normal position will extend about the shaft 10 between the pulley 11 and the adioining head 5. The ends of the yoke are preferably connected by the locking bar 23 which is pivotally connected with one leg by the pintle 24 and with the other log by the pin or screw 25, this pin preferably being threaded into the leg of the yoke 22, the legs of the yoke preferably being bifurcated as shown to interfit with the ends of the locking bar. A pin or stud 27 may be arranged upon the frame 1 to engage a suitable recess 28 in retaining member 21 in such a manner that this member is prevented from pivoting about the shaft 10 when the locking bar is in place.

When the members 20 and 21 are in their normal positions, the former covers up and prevents access to the fastening means 13, at the same time being juxtaposed to or engaging the'end of member 6 so that even accidental loosening or disengagement of the wing nuts 13 will not permit the cover or closure 6 to move outwardly, it being evident that it is only necessary to arrange such protecting means at one end of the cover since one end thereof can hardly be displaced if the other end is positively retained in position. The member 21, when in normal engagement with stud 27 and shaft 10, is arranged to support the enclosure 20 in its operative position in relation to the front plate 6 and as long as the locking bar 23 is in place these parts can not be moved to permit the board 6 to be swung outwardly to expose the saw cylinder and related parts. However, removal of the pin 25 may be accomplished by thrusting a suitable tool between the spokes of the pulley 11 when the latter is stationary. \Vhen the pin 25 is removed, the locking bar 23 may swing about pin 24 as an axis and the member 21 may be moved forwardly out of engagement with shaft 10 and stud 27; thus the enclosure 20 may be removed from the machine and ready access to fastening members 13 is afforded.

It is thus evident thatI have provided means preventing exposure of the reducing factor or saw cylinder when the driving means for the latter is rotating, but preventing the ready uncovering of the fastening means and consequent removal of the breast when the driving means is idle or stationary.

I claim:

1. Ina machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the factor, at least a portion of said casing being movable to afford access to the reducing factor, fastening means for securing said removable portion in place, driving means for the reducing factor, a pulley associated with the driving means and rotatable when the reducing factor is being driven, a member normally associated with the fastening means to prevent release of the same and removal of the removable portion of the casing, said member being movable out of its normal position to permit release of the fastening means, and an element locking said member in normal position, said locking element being inaccessible for removal while the pulley is rotating.

2. In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the factor, at least a portion of said casing being movable to afford access to the reducing factor, fastening means for securing said removable portion in place, driving means for the reducing factor, a pulley associated with the driving means and rotatable when the reducing factor is being driven, an enclosure normally covering and preventing access to the fastening means to prevent loosening of the same and removal of the removable casing ortion, said enclosure being movable out of its normal position to afford access to said fastening means, and locking means securing the enclosure in normal position, said locking means being so disposed relative to the spokes of the pulley that it can only be reached to unlock the enclosure when the pulley is stationary.

3. In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the same, a driving pulley exterior to the casing to drive said factor, a removable closure forming part of the casing wall, and retaining means holding the closure in place, and fastening means for holding the retaining means in place, said fastening means being located behind the pulley and thus being normally inaccessible when the drive pulley is rotating.

l. In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing thesame, a driving pulley exterior to the casing to drive said factor, a removable closure forming part of the casing wall, fastening means holding the closure in place, a cover for said fastening means, and a member holding said cover in place, said member being so disposed relatively to the pulley and the casing that it is not removable when the pulley is rotating.

5. In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the same, a drive pulley exterior to the casing to drive said factor, a removable closure forming part of the casing wall, fastening means holding the closure in place, a cover for said fastening means, and a member holding said cover in place, said member being secured in place by a locking screw, said screw being located between the pulley and easing wall so that it is inaccessible while the pulley is rotating.

6. In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the same, a drive pulley exterior to the casing to drive said factor, a removable closure forming part of the casing Wall, fastening means holding the closure in place, a cover for said fastening means, a member holding said cover in place, said member having a yoke passing about the shaft which connects the pulley with the reducing factor, a locking bar connecting the legs of the yoke, a removable pin securing the bar to one leg, a pint-1e member securing the bar to the other leg, said removable pin being accessible only by reaching between the spokes of the pulley, whereby said member is removable from the shaft to permit access to the fastening means and removal of the closure only when the pulley is stationary.

7 In a machine of the class described, a reducing factor, a casing enclosing the same, a drive pulley adjoining the casing to drive said factor, a removable closure forming part of the casing wall, fastening means holding the closure in place, a cover for said fastening means, and a member holding said cover in place, said member being secured in place by a single locking pin, said pin being located between the pulley and casing wall so that it is inaccessible while the pulley is rotating, said member also having a bearing upon another part of the machine to prevent its rotation about the pin when the latter is in place.

8. In combination in a cotton gin having a casing comprising a removable breastboard, a rotary saw cylinder within the casing, said cylinder having a drive shaft extending outside of the casing, a rotary drive element on the shaft outside of the casing, fastening means normally holding the breastboard in place, guard means normally preventing release of the fastening means, and means for releasably holding the guard means in operative position, said holding means being disposed between the pulley and easing thus being inaccessible for release of the guard means when the pulley is turning.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 22nd day of June, 1928.

ROBERT W, MoLEAN. 

